For the first time, Tang Ning heard someone speak about places beyond the Great Wei. While the affairs of Bei Ling seemed distant, the political intrigue and power struggles fascinated her.
Fu Laiqing, already familiar with the National Master of Bei Ling, couldn't help but blurt out, "A man who has been defeated repeatedly and even lost an arm—how can Uncle recommend him to be the deputy headmaster for the County Princess?"
"What do you know!" Cao Dejiang frowned and scolded him. "Who said losing makes him unworthy?"
He turned to Tang Ning and spoke solemnly, "County Princess, do you know why I suggested inviting him?"
Tang Ning lowered her eyes and thought for a moment before hesitantly replying, "Is it because Shi Chang'an's losses were not due to a lack of ability but to the circumstances? Although he couldn't defeat Xiahou Ling, Xiahou Ling, as the National Master of Bei Ling, relied on the power of the entire Bei Ling dynasty to suppress him."
"Shi Chang'an was able to repeatedly infiltrate the capital of Bei Ling, confront a National Master, and still retreat with his life. Even though he ultimately lost an arm, he must be an extraordinarily capable person."
For example, in the capital of Great Wei, if someone wanted to oppose Xiao Yan, who wielded immense power, and managed to survive multiple confrontations unscathed, they would undoubtedly be someone formidable.
Cao Dejiang's expression showed approval. "The County Princess is absolutely correct. When Shi Chang'an was serving in the northern border army, he once orchestrated a trap that annihilated 20,000 of Bei Ling's vanguard. Later, during his incursions into Bei Ling, he repeatedly turned their capital upside down. Two years ago, he even leveraged the Wanhu tribe of Bei Ling to nearly depose their Khan. Although he ultimately failed, his actions resulted in the death of the old Khan, igniting a fierce power struggle among the princes."
"Are you saying that the internal turmoil in Bei Ling two years ago was caused by him?" Xiao Yan interjected.
Cao Dejiang nodded. "Precisely."
He looked regretful. Bei Ling was one of the greatest threats to Great Wei. If Shi Chang'an had succeeded, Bei Ling would have descended into chaos, possibly allowing Great Wei to gain the upper hand.
But alas, Shi Chang'an was only one man.
Cao Dejiang sighed. "He is a solitary man, unwilling to rely on external help. But human effort has its limits. When Shi Chang'an returned from Bei Ling that time, he had lost an arm and his hair turned white overnight. Since then, he has never returned to Bei Ling and has been living as a teacher in Puyao. When I heard that the County Princess's academy was looking for a deputy headmaster, he was the first person I thought of."
"He mentioned in a recent letter that he plans to visit the capital. If the County Princess is interested, I can arrange a meeting. However, he is a bit eccentric and cannot be swayed by material gains. Whether or not you can recruit him depends entirely on you."
Tang Ning was not deterred by Cao Dejiang's words. Her ambitions for the academy extended far beyond the capital of Great Wei. However, as a young and inexperienced girl, she lacked the authority to command respect. Until she could grow into her role, the academy needed someone competent and bold to take the helm.
Xiao Yan's position made it inappropriate for him to be too involved in the academy's affairs. Otherwise, the Emperor and the scholarly officials who supported the academy might feel uneasy. Given the circumstances, Shi Chang'an, with his abilities and means, seemed like the perfect candidate.
She was determined to meet him personally.
Tang Ning quickly responded, "If Lord Cao can facilitate an introduction with Mr. Shi, I would be deeply grateful. As for the rest, I will handle the discussions myself and do my utmost to persuade him to stay at the academy."
Cao Dejiang smiled. "Very well. Once he arrives in the capital, I will inform you."
"Thank you, Lord Cao."
"How is the academy's construction progressing?"
"The construction of the school buildings has already begun…"
Tang Ning lowered her voice and explained the progress of the academy to Cao Dejiang, answering his questions with seriousness.
Originally, Cao Dejiang intended only to have a casual chat. However, observing how composed and articulate the young woman was, he began probing her about the academy's long-term plans, subtly testing and challenging her.
Tang Ning faced the questions head-on, responding confidently and openly. When confronted with issues she hadn't considered before, she gave thoughtful answers after careful deliberation and humbly sought Cao Dejiang's advice.
Xiao Yan sat quietly to the side, watching the two exchange ideas. Seeing the young girl’s radiant confidence and ease in conversing with Cao Dejiang, he noticed that her once timid demeanor had vanished, replaced by a glowing brilliance. Even Cao Dejiang couldn't conceal his admiration for her.
A subtle sense of pride swelled within him. When he withdrew his hand from the water, a handkerchief was immediately handed to him.
Xiao Yan looked up to see the girl smiling brightly at him before turning back to continue her conversation with Cao Dejiang.
He chuckled softly, his heart sinking deeper. He carefully wiped his hand with the handkerchief, folded it neatly, and tucked it into his sleeve. Then, glancing at Fu Laiqing, who was gazing at his little Sea Tang with admiration, he suddenly felt calm and indifferent.
This silly pup had no chance—his little Sea Tang wouldn't even look at him.
Fu Laiqing suddenly felt a chill dissipate. When he turned around, he met Xiao Yan's unexpectedly kind gaze.
"…"
Fu Laiqing: Is my future brother-in-law starting to like me now?
Cao Dejiang and his friends stayed in Tang Mansion for about half an hour. When they were leaving, Fu Laiqing finally found an opportunity to talk to Song Tangning alone.
He told Song Tangning about what happened in the palace before, and then said with regret: "I'm sorry, Miss Song, I wanted to teach Song Jinxiu a lesson, but I didn't expect him to use me to set a stage for him."
Tang Ning didn't expect Song Jinxiu to become like this: "Don't blame you. It's not that he doesn't know how to be a good person. He just used to be disdainful. Now that he is in a bad situation, he can take advantage of anything. Mr. Fu doesn't need to go out of his way to cause trouble for him in the future, so as to avoid being schemed against by him again."
Fu Laiqing quickly said, "I know, my uncle has already taught me a lesson."
Tang Ning glanced at Cao Dejiang who was talking to Xiao Yan in front of him and said, "Lord Cao treats you very well."
Fu Laiqing blurted out: "Uncle likes you very much, too."
Tang Ning: “…”
Seeing the girl in front of him looking up at him, Fu Laiqing's face turned red, and he quickly explained with a stutter: "No, that's not what I meant."
"It's my uncle who always praises you for your intelligence and says that you are different from other girls in Beijing. He says that if you knew that I was taking advantage of Song Jinxiu, you would definitely not like it..."
The more he described, the darker the situation became. His words became more and more stuttering, and his face turned red, even his neck below the collar was red.
Tang Ning had never seen a person's face turn so red. She laughed a little, but still whispered: "It's not that I don't like him, but I think it's unnecessary to waste energy on an irrelevant person, and it's not good for me to get entangled with him. Mr. Fu has a bright future, unlike him who is full of bad reputation. Why bother to touch rotten stone with gold and jade."
Fu Laiqing's face flushed: "Do you think I am precious and gold and jade?"
Tang Ning nodded: "You, Madam Fu, and Lord Cao are all precious in my eyes. It is not worth it to be damaged by someone like Song Jinxiu. I heard that Madam Fu intends to arrange a marriage for Mr. Fu. When you marry a beautiful wife and give birth to a child, you will know that Lord Cao's teaching you today was not for me."
When she smiles, her eyes are gentle, like a crabapple blossom in spring, making people unable to look away.
"Speaking of which, Mr. Fu has saved me and A'ru, and Old Madam Fu has also helped me many times. When you get married in the future, you must remember to send an invitation to the Tang Mansion. A'ru and I will definitely prepare a generous gift for you and your future wife."
The color on Fu Laiqing's flushed face instantly faded.
"Miss Song, I..."
He opened his mouth to speak, and Song Tangning smiled and said:
"Mr. Fu, my last name is no longer Song."
She was gentle but firm, and did not give Fu Laiqing the opportunity to reveal his feelings.
"Mr. Cao is calling you. You should go now."
Fu Laiqing looked at the little girl who was so close to him but pushed him away without hesitation. She didn't even want him to express his feelings. His hands and feet felt cold. The joy he had when he came here was gone, and the young man's heart was shattered.
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T/N: Fu Laiqing is delulu
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You can read ahead to chapterr 234 (100+ extra chapters) here
I think she did well there, firmly implying that whoever Fu marries won’t be her, but still kind and willing to be friends 😊
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